High pressure inner tube tester



Aug. 5, 1941. H. D. KANTNl-:R

HIGH PRESSURE INNER TUBE TESTERy Filed 4sep-t. 24. 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 ,ivi

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Aug. 5, 1941. H. D. KANTNER HIGH PRESSURE INNER TUBE TESTER Filed Sept. 24, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 inl Patented Aug. 5, 1941 Nentre srrs rarer rice 1 2,251,359 f l man ranssuan INNER TUBE Tnsirnn tion of Ohio Application September 24, 1938,`!Serial No.v 231,557

(Cl. 'YSL-51) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a high pressure inner tube tester for pneumatic tires. t

To those versed in the art of tire repairing it is well recognized that an improved device for locating minute air leakage in an inner tube is to be desired. I am aware that some devices for this purpose have already been devised which consist in general of annular enclosures made of Wire or netting and held together by means of clamps or bolts. In operating these previous devices it is necessary to insert the tube in the net or wire jacket and then connect a series of clamps or bolts to secure the inner tube for testing. Such devices are tedious to use and require expending needless time and effort in testing an inner tube for an air leakage.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved testing jacket or envelope into which an inner tube may be easily inserted for testing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a testing envelope for inner tubes which is constructed partly of self-supporting wire netting or like material and partly of fabric netting.

A further object is to provide an envelope for testing inner tubes closed by a slide fastener.

Another object of my invention is to provide an envelope that is simple in construction and easily operated.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved testing envelope and shows an inner tube in position for testing.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the inner tube and envelope.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view and shows the method of joining the fabric netting to the wire rings and show-s the structure closed by a slide fastener.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the netting attached to the respective edges of a slide fastener and illustrates the opened end overlapping the closed end.

Fig. 5 is a section through the slide fastener assembly `and a portion of the fabric netting.

In its preferred form my invention is constructed as best illustrated in Fig. 1. The envelope comprises an outer shell 9 formed of a self-supporting material such as wire netting, for example, and an inner shell lll constructed of fabric netting. Attached adjacent the edges cf 'the outer shell are semi-rigid rings Il and l2 respectively and the fabric netting is attached to these rings in any convenient manner, such as lacing a cord I3 through the netting and around the rings. The inner shell has an opening closed by a slide fastener I4, having a separating bottom end construction 25.

In operating the envelope to insert a tube for testing the slide fastener is opened, whereupon the fabric netting may be folded back and the tire tube inserted, whereupon the slide fastener is then closed and the assembly is in readiness for testing.

The complementary halves I9 and 20 respectively of a separable end type fastener are secured to each annular edge of the envelope. The edges 2| of the netting are secured to the respective stringers in any convenient way, for example by sandwiching the net edges 2l between the fastener stringers and a second overlapping piece of fabric 22. The upper end of the fastener stringers 23 and 24 overlap the separable end tting 25 of the fastener assembly and are stitched thereto by a series of stitching 26. This overlapping is desirable to prevent any possible bulge at the closing end of the fastener assembly when the inner tube is under pressure for testing. rBhe fastener is actuated by a slider 21 of the locking type which secures the fastener positively at all times while the tube testing operation is in process.

It will now be clear how my improved testing envelope functions. For example in an inner tube in which there is a leak of small proportions it is diiiiculrt to locate the same when the tube is submerged in liquid because it is impossible to inflate the tube to any high pressure without damaging it. In fact the maximum pressure is approximately one pound per square inch which may be safely introduced into an inner tube which is not protected by a testing envelope. With my invention a tube can be inated safely to about fifty per cent of its normal Working pressure thereby permitting the operator to detect easily the source of leakage from the escape of air bubbles.

While I have shown and described in this application an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination of a foraminous tube envelope for completely encircling a tire tube, said envelope comprising an outer self-supporting shell, a fabric netting inner shell joined to said outer shell, a slit around said inner shell, and a slide fastener for closing the slit.

2. The combination of a self-supporting envelope for enclosing a tire tube comprising an outer shell of Wire netting encircling a portion of said tire tube, semi-rigid rings secured to the circular rims of said shell, a fabric netting inner shell joined to said rings on the outer shell, a slit around the inner circumference of said inner shell, and a slide fastener for closing the slit.

3. The combination of an annular reticulated envelope for enclosing a tire tube, said envelope having a slit around its inner circumference and a completely separable slide fastener for closing the slit attached to the adjacent edges of said slit, the open end of said slide fastener overlapping the closed end when the fastener is closed.

4. The combination defined in claim 2 in which the open end of said slide fastener overlaps the closed end when the fastener is closed.

5. A device of the character described comprising a unitary non-collapsible foraminous envellope adapted to enclose an iniiated tire tube, said envelope having a circumferential slit, a strip of collapsible foraminous material contiguous |to said slit, and a slide fastener for closing said slit.

6. A device of the character described comprising a non-collapsible foraminous envelope conforming to the shape of an inflated tire tube, said envelope having a circumferential opening sufficiently wide to permit the insertion of a tube into said envelope, a strip of collapsible material attached to each circumferential edge of said envelope, and a slide fastener adapted to hold the contiguous edges of said strips in interlocking engagement with each other.

HAROLD D. KANTNER. 

